Deputy Mayor's Delegation to Baltimore - April 2010

Deputy Mayor Shlomo Cohen lead a delegation of Ashkelon committee chairs to Baltimore in April, for partnership meetings. David Wolfson, Meir Bouhnik, Einat Turgeman, and Marcelo Burdeman, joined Shlomo and me on this trip, Shlomo Cohen presented the Mayor of Baltimore Stephanie Rawlings, with a framed commemorative set of stamps

To see more photos from city hall - press HERE

During the visit, Ashkelon delegation members volunteered in the community.

Sigal & Einat met the Baltimore Moms at a Moms' Mission Reunion

Reading Encouragement Project - Opening Ceremony

EBDI visits PACT in Ashkelon

Mayor Benny Vaknin greets Michael Hoffman of The Associated while Meir Bouhnik of The Ashkelon Foundation looks on.

Yesterday a VIP EBDI delegation of 16 professionals from Baltimore visited Ashkelon to see PACT projects in action and learn about the specific problems facing new immigrants from Ethiopia in Israel.

EBDI is the East Baltimore Development Inc - a nonprofit partnership of private and public entities that is undertaking the single largest redevelopment project in Baltimore, transforming 88 acres with $1.8 billion in new investments. EBDI works in partnership with and receives support from, among others, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Johns Hopkins Institutions, the Goldseker Foundation, the Greater Baltimore Committee, and the Federal, State and City governments.

The delegation is in Israel to examine the PACT (Parents and Children Together) model, learn about the work of the JDC and see for themselves the impact of Baltimore's support for the PACT program, with a view to implementing aspects of the PACT program in East Baltimore. Read about PACT here

In Ashkelon, the EBDI delegation visited Bet Tzipora - an after-school facility supported by Marion and Eli Wiesel to nurture children of Ethiopian origin and help them be the best that they can be. The delegation split up to visit homes of Ethiopians living in Ashkelon, visited kindergartens, and held meetings with Ashkelon social service professionals.

Last stop was a PACT Hannuka activity for mothers and children at the community center. Mr Benny Vaknin, the newly elected Mayor of Ashkelon met Janie McCullough, Deputy Mayor of Baltimore and warmly welcomed the delegation. to the city. Nicole

Ashkelon Mayor Benny Vaknin with Baltimore's Deputy Mayor Janie McCullough

Benny Vaknin, Janie McCullough & Michael Hoffman

A display of LEAP embroidery and baskets made by Ethiopian women EBDI participant Adam Rosenberg met Zuwalu of LEAP , who embroidered this picture of Adam & Eve in Gan Eden

Read Adam Rosenberg's EBDI trip to Israel report here

Mayor Benny Vaknin, Suzi Eigenstein (Women's Forum) and Meir Bouhnik (The Ashkelon Foundation)

PACT activity for Mothers and children

See more photos of the EIDB visit in this photo album ALBUM

Red Alert for Otzma

Otzma in Ashkelon!

Five Otzma-niks will be coming to live and work in Ashkelon for 3 months from January 2009. They have already spent a weekend in Ashkelon getting to know their host families. The 5 Otzma-niks were in town on 5th November to see where they will be living and to look at various volunteer options.

Otzma 2008-2009 in front of a mosaic made by Otzma-niks of previous years, Beit Canada

First stop on their visit was Ashkelon municipality. No sooner had they arrived in the building, when the Red Alert siren sounded. Ceasefire Shmeasefire, we are still experiencing the occasional rocket attack. The rocket landed in another neighborhood and luckily caused no damage, but our Otzmaniks were reminded that life in Ashkelon will be something of an adventure.

The tour of the city proceeded with stops at Netzach Yisrael community kindergarten, Beit Canada absorption center, Calanit student absorption center, Bet Tzipora, and afternoon day care facilities for children at risk. Nicole

Oriana Haddad outlines volunteer options for working with Ethiopian new immigrants at Beit Canada Absorption Center

Report from our Otzmaniks: "We are eager and excited and looking forward to being in Ashkelon! We love our host families and already love the city, can't wait to live here, visit the beach, and the marina, find our favorite felafel store, and shop at the shouk".

Alizka and Esther of Calanit student absorption center hosted our Otzmaniks for lunch and showed them the rooms where they will be staying from January 2009. The rooms have been newly renovated and furnished.

Lunch at Calanit

Meir Bouhnik of "The Ashkelon Foundation" ("Keren Ashkelon") and Mazal, Head of Bet Tzipora, show the Otzmaniks around Bet Tzipora - a joint project with Eli and Marion Wiesel